FuF—Fördern (coach) and Fordern (challenge)

In the academic year 2017/18, the GISW added our so called FuF program to the schedule of students at the Upper School. This program is an extension of the previous extra coaching program  which was limited to a few participants and took place in the afternoons. The newly instated FuF is short for German fördern (coach) and fordern (challenge), which means on the one hand, students in all courses are supported in their efforts to overcome challenges while, on the other hand, gifted students are given the opportunity for academic growth. Since the beginning of the school year 2017/18, all students from grades 5 -9 have been part of this new program, which is now part of the curriculum and the schedule for those grades.

For these special classes, teachers of the Upper School have designed courses/modules that allow more individualized instruction and attention for each student. There are four consecutive FuF modules in a school year and each one  runs approximately 8 weeks. During FuF lessons (2 x 45min/week) students can tackle burning questions and discuss issues in depth. The courses offer topics from a variety of subject areas, e.g. German, English, Math, etc.

However, FuF courses are not electives in the traditional sense. As they are part of the curriculum and class schedules, teachers may recommend students for certain courses based on their pedagogical judgement, particularly in the core subjects. The final content and number of courses vary due to the availability of resources and subject-area demands.

Some examples of modules from the previous year are courses like recording newscasts, playing ukulele, building robots as well as courses providing strategies for giving presentations, writing papers, and solving mathematical problems.

If you have any questions regarding FuF, please contact

Dr. Jackson, Teacher for English and French, FuF Coordinator

Email: sjackson@giswashington.org